Why fret over project to house the poor

WE ALL have rights, some more than others. Sometimes the concept of rights goes too far – thinking people must come together and allow rationality to supersede.

Recently, some ratepayers’ associations a distance from the Garden Village community objected to the development of affordable housing near them. The objectors were from Maitland, Thornton, Pinelands and Kensington.

Since the provincial department has clearly assigned huge resources to the planned development, why is it that a few consider they know better than specialists?

Similarly, but for different reasons, locals in Kenilworth were annoyed by an affordable development on the racecourse. Seemingly the area has some scarce shrubbery that must be saved. One must consider why none of the hyped-up activists saved the shrubbery from extinction when it was endangered on the Cape Flats and elsewhere? Why does it matter now when developers want to house the less well-heeled in Kenilworth?

These questions are vital because Cape Town, like all global cities, has limited choice but to absorb the millions who will trek to cities.

In 30 years 80% of all humans will live in cities. Where exactly must the newcomers be housed when locals object to affordable housing nearby.

As Capetonians we must be honest with each other. The upper classes must tell their councillors and other representatives that they do not want poor people housed near them instead of dancing around issues of aesthetics and threatened shrubbery.

China builds a city the size of Cape Town every 10 years. We must stop wasting time and energy on insincere niceties.